An important decision has come down about Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy.
A judge ruled that Jassy broke a law meant to protect worker rights when he spoke about unions in media interviews. Amazon disagrees with this decision and says they will appeal it.
The judge focused on comments Jassy made in 2022 on several different TV shows. These comments happened at the same time that Amazon warehouse and delivery workers were trying to form unions. Jassy said that if workers joined a union, they would have less power in their jobs. He also said that things would be slower and more complicated with a union.
Amazon says this is a bad decision because it limits free speech. They want to be able to have open discussions about unions, including the downsides. However, the judge ruled that Jassy’s comments went too far and could discourage workers from trying to form unions.
There’s more to the story though. In another interview, Jassy said that without a union, workers can easily talk to their managers about making improvements. This suggests that Amazon worries that a union would make it harder for workers to have their voices heard.